4.04.2012

Throws vs. throes

The copy editor is in.
I'm presenting occasional posts on the use of English,
not to be pedantic but just for the fun of language.

If you're enduring something, you're in the throes of it. If you've got a ball or a horseshoe, you can practice your throws.

They're pronounced the same, but one's spelled so much more interestingly.
A throe refers to writhing, suffering, despair, or pain (think death throes or the throes of childbirth), and actually shares a root with throw: the Old English þrawan, meaning to twist, turn, or writhe. The common thread likely had something to do with twisting a projectile before launching it.

So if you're in the throes of frustration because your seven-year-old won't stop practicing her baseball throws in the house, you'll now know which word to use for which!